Beef Barley Soup

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup barley, cooked according to package instructions

2 rib eye steaks (about 1 pound each), trimmed of excess fat and cubed into bite-size pieces

Salt

Black pepper

4 tablespoons flour, divided use

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning/dried herbs

4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press

1 tablespoon tomato paste

6 cups beef broth

1 (14.5 ounce / 411 gram) can diced tomatoes, drained of juices

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Begin by preparing your barley according to package instructions; set aside once cooked.

While the barley cooks, prepare the soup: place the cubed rib eye into a medium bowl, and sprinkle with a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper; sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of the flour, and toss to coat.

Place a medium-large soup pot over high heat, and add in the butter and the olive oil; once melted and hot, add in beef cubes (work in two batches as to not overcrowd the pot) and allow it to sear on all sides until a golden crust forms, about 1-2 minutes; remove from pot and set aside. (Beef should be rare inside.)

To the same pot, add in the diced onion, carrots and celery, and stir to saute for 2-3 minutes, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of pan for flavor; add in the Italian seasoning and the garlic, and stir until aromatic.

Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine, followed by the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, stirring that in as well.

Add the beef broth, whisking all the while to keep the soup smooth, then add in the diced tomatoes.

Bring the soup to a vigorous simmer, then cover and reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

Turn off the heat, and add back into the pot the seared beef along with any juices, plus the peas and the parsley; allow the soup to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the beef to gently heat through and finish cooking to medium-rare.

To serve, add about 1/2 cup cooked barley to individual bowls, ladle hot soup over top, and enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 579